REDLANDS 2016
Redlands Airfield planning application is finally public!
Submissions regarding the planning application for 370 houses on the Redlands Farm site must be made to Swindon Borough Council by 4th February 2016. S/OUT/16/0021
So this is it….this airfield is finished. They will be “OUT 2016!”
It’s toast.
After nearly two decades of unbearable noise nuisance, planning breaches, intimidation of locals and more, this airfield has been sold off by it’s owners for housing development.
The airfield could have stopped the whole of the Eastern Development Area building plans so it appears Swindon Borough Council decided that allowing planning permission on a site which previously had been excluded from development plans, was all they were prepared to do to deal with the nuisance issue. Of course SBC could have ordered a discontinuance notice or a compulsory purchase order (as they threatened to to) instead of allowing developers to destroy the countryside within sight of the Wiltshire & Berkshire AONB.
The airfield owners, the Smith family of Wanborough, will make millions after ruining the lives of residents across North Wiltshire since 1991 (when the first microlight airfield was established).
The countryside & wildlife here will be ruined. It wasn’t enough for the Redland’s Farm owners to fill in a pond and grub up hedgerows, now the whole of the farm will be built upon. As it’s only about 50 acres so these will be small plots. Wanborough itself only has about 600 houses, so this development, the first of all the EDA applications to be submitted, will be over half the size of the existing village! Astounding!
Councilor Dale Heenan suggested that the owners could have planning permission for 10-30 houses not hundreds. So much for Swindon Borough Council’s planning control of developers.
However the extinguishing of the airfield is very, very good news, even though it will ruin Wanborough village. The parish council did support all of the aviation planning applications so now that unwise support has come back to bite them.
There is a saying “What goes around comes around.”
In conclusion, all we can say is…..
Hooray and good riddance!
It’s now time to get the champagne out!
SEE:
Smith, Barberry & Swindon agreement
So no large development at Redlands 2013